Repository | Zeitschrift | Band | Artikel
Arrow's theorem and theory choice
pp. 1847-1856
Abstrakt
In a recent paper (Okasha, Mind 120:83–115, 2011), Samir Okasha uses Arrow’s theorem to raise a challenge for the rationality of theory choice. He argues that, as soon as one accepts the plausibility of the assumptions leading to Arrow’s theorem, one is compelled to conclude that there are no adequate theory choice algorithms. Okasha offers a partial way out of this predicament by diagnosing the source of Arrow’s theorem and using his diagnosis to deploy an approach that circumvents it. In this paper I explain why, although Okasha is right to emphasise that Arrow’s result is the effect of an informational problem, he is not right to locate this problem at the level of the informational input of a theory choice rule. Once the informational problem is correctly located, Arrow’s theorem may be dismissed as a problem.
Publication details
Published in:
(2014) Synthese 191 (8).
Seiten: 1847-1856
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-013-0372-3
Referenz:
Rizza Davide (2014) „Arrow's theorem and theory choice“. Synthese 191 (8), 1847–1856.